NHTSA Complaint #10405960 — 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY

WE HAVE A 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY EX. AT 67,000 MILES, WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, I NOTICED THAT IT SEEMED TO BE SLOW AT SHIFTING GEARS AFTER SLOWING DOWN. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HE SAID THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. NOW AT 101,000, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE SLOW SHIFTING SUDDENLY GOT DRAMATICALLY WORSE, WITH THE ENGINE REVVING UP BEFORE JERKING THE CAR AS THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY SHIFTS GEARS. NOW WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, OUT OF WARRANTY, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF A "TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SYS. MALFUNCTION" AND THE REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $5000. I'M UPSET BECAUSE HONDA KNOWS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2001 MODEL AND SHOULD DEALT WITH IT HONESTLY WHEN WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN UNDER WARRANTY RATHER THAN TELLING ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND WAITING UNTIL AFTER 100,000 MILES TO INFORM ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACE. WE ARE TRYING TO DECIDE IF IT IS WORTH THE MONEY TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. *TR